What are PCBs?
PCB’s (or Polychlorinated biphenyls) are an organic compound which was used in the United States as hydraulic fluids, dielectric fluids for transformers, and as flame retardants.

What are the positive uses of PCB’s?
PCB’s were used by many industries because of their chemical stability, electrical insulating properties, and low flammability.

What are the negative effects of PCB’s?

1. PCBs contribute to liver damage and blood in urine.
2. PCBs alter estrogen levels and with extreme exposure, newborns can weight less than normal babies. PCB’s are also associated with liver cancer.
3. PCBs do not degrade easily in the environment; PCB’s offer stability as a major property. Sometimes this is good and sometimes not.

How do we dispose of PCB’s?
There are many ways to rid PCB’s:
Ultrasound
Incineration
Irradiation
Landfills

Landfills have special sites where the PCB’s cannot leak into the atmosphere.

Incineration is uing extremely high temperatures to destroy PCB’s, 1200 degrees for two seconds. This is extremely expensive and is only used on PCB effected equipment, not soil.

Ultrasound is another method, but is limited to only water soluble substances.

Irradiation is where PCB’s are subjected to gamma rays.